The present invention relates generally to vine fluffers and, more particularly, to a peanut fluffer containing three vine conveying sections horizontally aligned for fluffing previously dug peanut plants formed in windrows.
As is generally known, most peanut diggers currently used harvest the peanut plant by cutting the tap root approximately two to three inches below the surface of the earth, separating the peanuts and upper vegetation from the earth, and depositing the plants on the ground in an inverted state, i.e., the peanuts face upwards. The inverted peanut plants are formed into windrows by the peanut digger and are later subject to a combining operation. The combining operation thrashes the nuts from the vines while separating peanuts from shreaded vines. When first cut, the peanut plant vines contain a very high moisture content making it difficult to separate the peanuts from the vines and it is therefore generally desired to combine the peanut plants after the vines have dried to the point where they have a low moisture content, typically 15% to 20%. This requires that the peanut plants lie on the ground for three to five days before combining, depending on climatic conditions.
One impediment to an early combining of the windrows following the digging operation is the inability of the lowermost vines to dry because of poor air circulation and lack of sun exposure. Also, the vines directly touching the ground absorb moisture which further prolongs the drying period. Morning dew is also a problem since it must be evaporated from the vines prior to combining and, of course, rain is a problem not only because it wets the vines, but also, because it causes dirt from the vines to flow to the bottom of the windrow sealing the leaves of the vines to the ground. To solve the problem of moisture acccumulation and thereby facilitate the combining operation, it is generally known to reshake the peanut vines to allow air to circulate in and around the vines, particularly those touching the ground. Generally, a shaker or fluffer device operates to temporarily lift the vines off the ground via a conveyor device without otherwise disturbing the windrows.
It has been particularly desirable to construct peanut fluffers of a width sufficient to handle six peanut rows or three windrows on a single pass. This reduces the number of passes per field since the job should be done quickly in the morning prior to a combining operation. However, a three windrow wide fluffer typically has three conveyor sections, one for each windrow, and when used, necessarily occupies a very large width making it difficult to maneuver and move from one field to another. Very often it will be impossible to get a typical peanut fluffer through a farm gate and, of course, such a machine would never fit within a vehicle lane of a roadway, thus inhibiting its transportation thereon. Obvious storage problems are also present.
Accordingly, one of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improved peanut fluffer capable of fluffing three windrows at a time, but which occupies a relatively small amount of space during storage and transport thereby making it easily transported from field to field and, if required, capable of being transported along a vehicle roadway. A peanut fluffer constructed in accordance with the present invention contains three conveyor sections, a continuously horizontally disposed middle section and two flanking outer sections which are pivotable relative to the middle section. The pivot axis for each outer section allows the movement of the outer sections between a substantially horizontally disposed operative position and a substantially vertically disposed or folded position for transportation and storage of the fluffer.
The raising and lowering of the outer sections relative to the middle section is controlled by a pair of hydraulic cylinders which respectively couple the middle section to the outer sections. Each hydraulic cylinder is operated through a pair of hydraulic check valves which prevent the outer sections from being lowered should a rupture occur in the hydraulic control lines eminating from a tractor. The power operated check valves also eliminate the danger of the outer sections falling during storage.
Since all three conveyor sections are supplied with operative power from a hauling tractor, it becomes difficult to supply this operative power to a tri-sectional folding fluffer. Accordingly, another object of the invention is the provision of a unique arrangement for supplying motive power from a tractor through the middle conveyor section to the two outer conveyor sections. This arrangement makes use of a pair of universal joints which are aligned respectively with the pivot axes about which each outer section rotates. Preferably, the universal joint forms one pivot point of only two pivot points provided for each outer section. The other pivot point being provided by a pin which couples the frame of a respective outer conveyor section to the frame of the middle section.
The foldable peanut fluffer will be transported by a tractor creating a possibility that the tractor operator may accidentally engage the tractor power train output (P.T.O.) which is coupled with the driving shafts for the three conveyor sections while the outer sections are in a raised position. If this occurs, large stresses will be created on the mechanical components of the foldable fluffer, particularly the universal joint, because the two halves of each universal joint would be substantially perpendicular to one another. Accordingly, another object of the invention is the provision of suitable apparatus to prevent mechanical damage should this occur. To this end, a double disc adjustable clutch is provided for coupling output motive power from the tractor to the drive shafts of the conveyor sections. If the tractor P.T.O. is inadvertently engaged with the outer sections in a raised position, the clutch will slip preventing mechanical damage.
Another problem with typical prior art peanut diggers and fluffers is that they are often supported during storage by cinder blocks, jacks or other types of stand supports. These additional supporting devices, which tend to be bulky, heavy, unsafe, and sometimes expensive, are often lost or damaged. In addition, if these conventional supports were used on a foldable fluffer, serious stability problems would arise. Accordingly, another object of the invention is the provision of parking stands formed integrally with the outer conveyor sections which are operative when the outer conveyor sections are in a raised position to support the folding fluffer without the need for additional support stands.
It is the exception rather than the rule that a field of peanuts will be dug in such a manner that each windrow is well formed along its edges. In addition, parasite plants, diseased peanut plants, soil erosion, inadequate land preparation, terraced fields, malfunctioning peanut planters, cultivators or diggers, and operator error are other factors which may contribute to the formation of a windrow with irregular edges. Because of irregular windrow edges, it becomes difficult to lift or fluff those peanut plants on the edge of a windrow; that is, they are not fluffed as much as, if at all, vines located in the center of the windrow. Accordingly, an additional object of the invention is the provision of a foldable fluffer in which each of the conveyor sections is provided with vine guides which function to channel vines at the edges of a windrow towards the center of the conveyor. The vine guides are preferably formed from bars which are attached to the conveyor sections near their inputs. The bars are bent to pass in front of the driving chains for each conveyor section at an angle oblique to the plane in which the driving chains rotate.
These and other objects of the invention will be readily appreciated from the following description of the invention which is taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.